Care For A Pint Of Hummus Beer?

It’s not easy loving beer and not looking like you’re pregnant with an Elephant’s kid. Because that beer belly comes after you the moment you take the first swig of your chilled pint! But what if we tell you that there is now a gluten-free beer on this planet?

That’s right! Our lovely craft beer-loving habibis in the Middle East have come up with a new and exciting concept, the hummus beer.

Middle Eastern Brew

Chickpea, the basis of one of Israel’s quintessential foods, is now the main ingredient in a cold brew.

Srigim, an Israeli microbrewery, has invented a gluten-free beer brewed with chickpeas, dates, and buckwheat. The unusual concept has been well liked in a region where regional ingredients are given a thumbs up to be used in the brewing process.

“Chickpeas are a very Middle Eastern food,” Srigim co-owner Bryan Meadan says. “Local beer made with local products.”

A sociologist with a gluten intolerant system, Meadan first perfected the hummus beer at home for himself and then began selling it to the beer enthusiasts in Jerusalem, where he claims it has taken off in popularity.

A Big Hit

Israel may not be the first international city you associate with the craft beer movement, but it has really taken hold in Jerusalem where Israel’s premiere craft beer festival, Jerusalem Beer Fest, just wrapped up at the end of August. The chickpea beer in particular was a hit.

“It’s unfiltered, unpasteurized, and very fresh,” Srigim co-owner Ofer Ronen told Israel National News. “That’s why the taste is very powerful.”

Another trending Israeli beer using local ingredients is the cheekily named “Hey Ju-Boy!” brewed with date honey and juniper berries, crafted by The Dancing Camel.